, 1887-09-23
KILLED THE COOK.
Rev. Ebeneze snodgrass Relates a
Truthful Narrative.

Il don't desire to be placed on record
as cold FLOODED, heartless, or anything
of that sort, y remarked the Rev. Ebene-
ger S~nodgrass the other evening, but l
believe it is utterly impossible to build up
a good mining camp without killing three
or four of the original l~ocators. So soon
as the prospectors in a new district com
memo killing each other, it at once be-
comes an established fact that there is
gold in the bowels of the earth in that
Immediate locality. A tough reputa-
ton Is what caused immigration to flow
into Leadville and Deadwood, and it will
be the same way with Silver Crown. |
preached ermon over the first five men
who were either lynched or shot in Dead
wood. The first case was a corker, and
one that | will remember to my dying
day. The Slocum brothers, Bob and Ed,
were among the pioneers of Two. Bit
gulch, a small camp near Deadwood.
They were twins, and naturally greatly re-
sembled each other. AS a distinguishing
mark Ed bore a terrible scar across the
face, which he had received in an inter-
esting casino game with Mexican Pete for
IS a corner. Ed tried to introduce a fifth
ten spot. and Pete, who was pretty
flip himself, wouldn't stand his work.
Those boys were a peculiar pair. They
continually quarreled among themselves,
but would not brook outside interference.
When Sandy Dunbar was marshal Of
Deadwood he attempted to make the Slo-
cum boys quit fighting across a faro Ia
Bile and was nearly killed for his pains.
When he was able to walk again the
gang guyed him so much about getting
Ghrashed by a couple of kids that he re-
signed, stole a horse and lit out for Mon
tana.
Those boys finally came to a terrible
end, just as | had always prophesied. 1t
grieved me, too, because Bob sang in the
choir and Ed. taught the infant class in
Sunday school, while both contributed
literally toward supporting the strug-
Cling church.
Ed. could whip Bob in a fair fight,
and often took unfair advantage of the
fact. The chairman of the vigilance com
mittee warned him several times that he
could expect no favors unless he ceased
forcing Bob to appear in church with a
pair of black eyes.
"The most trifing thing in the world
led to their final fight. OF course the
boys patched together in their little cabin.
On this lamentable occasion Bob prepared
the evening meal while Ed. assisted in
skinning a Boston gambler at the Bacon
Rind saloon. When Ed. reached the
cabin he was boiling drunk and spelling
for a scrap. The supper, which consisted
principally of baked beans, didn't suit
him. He set the ball rolling by remark
ing that nobody but a Missourian would
bake beans; that they were much better
boiled. Bob was on his ear in a minute.
He responded that any cold-decker who
didn't prefer baked beans to boiled didn't
have sense enough to tell the difference
between refractory and free-milling ore.
Zone word led to another until Ed,
who was never known to do such a thing
before, pulled his gun and commenced
firing at Bob. The third shot killed the
unfortunate brother. Public indignation
ran high, and as no one took any par
ticular pains to prevent it, Ed. was
promptly strung up. Out of respect for
the cloth l made a futile effort to avoid
the affair, but was forced to subside.
I'VE sent to Bismarck for two collins
and had a grand double funeral. and it
was a daisy. The sermon l delivered was
the greatest effort of my life. l preached
on 'Brotherly Love and Law and Order
and dressed down the reckless element in
a pretty thorough manner [ realized that
it was a terrible thing for one brother to
kill another, and consequently made the
services interesting. | was well paid for
my trouble, though. The boys admired
my speech so much that they donated me
$3.50 in dust and an elegant pearl handled
and gold mounted six-shooter."